


'Til now I always got by on my own (I never really cared until I met you)

by SpicyCheese



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: 80's power ballads, Basically I just got Spotify and this is the result, Catchy tunes, F/F, Fluff and Crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 05:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19167130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyCheese/pseuds/SpicyCheese
Summary: It now serves as a mantra, a reminder to stay the course and continue to circumnavigate the minefield of feelings that are becoming harder and harder to dodge. Tina's not wrong, Love is a second hand emotion! It’s incidental and in this case very inconvenient, because when you only have one friend, being in love with her is a rather risky situation of losing that person all together.So Lena soldiers on, working out her frustration when and where she can. And If she has to stress-scrub her entire kitchen, Brillo pad to tile counter top, toWhat’s Love Got to Do With It, well then that’s what she’ll do. She’s has been dancing around her infatuation (literally) for a very long time now and that approach has been working just fine.Right up until it doesn't.





	'Til now I always got by on my own (I never really cared until I met you)

**Author's Note:**

> No, the song in the title is not the song this fic centers around (but I love it, and it would totally fit the bill as well). Either way, here's some nonsensical fluff. Enjoy. :)

*_*_*_*_*

 

It began with _Dirty Dancing,_ then  _Pretty Woman_ , then G _host_ (which she was very disappointed to find was not a horror movie). After  _The Bodyguard_ , it became very clear Kara’s 80’s weekly movie nights had a theme of romance. That shouldn't be a problem, but absolutely is.

The romance is a problem specifically because there is none, none between her and Kara that is. This is problematic mostly because despite her best efforts, Lena has found herself somehow completely and useless in love with her best friend.

She anticipated this of course. Lena knows herself well enough that the moment Kara set food in her office that first day- all sunshine smiles and cardigan sleeves straining against some truly impressive biceps- that it could be a problem.

God she hates being right.

She _tried_ not to fall for Kara, she really did. After all, the past has proved love not only be a distraction, but a disaster. Love has only ever completely derailed her life and left her in a crumpled mess, alone to pick up the pieces. She’s new to National City, she has a business to save, there is absolutely no time to indulge in that kind of all consuming mess.

Yet, here she is.

Cuddling on Kara’s couch once a week, watching undying love play over catchy soundtracks is not helping.  

That’s the other thing- the music. Lionel Richie and Phil Collins. Richard Marx, Whitney Houston, and Air Supply. They haunting. In the elevator, on radio in lobby of her building, at her assistant's desk. It’s like she’s a sleeper cell, awoken and suddenly far to in-tune to a swirl of 80’s ballads that apparently have been playing around her all this time..  

One in particular from Tina Turner has become somewhat of an anthem for her. They didn’t even watch that movie, and yet the song of the same name has somehow wormed its way into her unconscious and has been playing on repeat.

To be fair, she’s always liked this song, and lyrics of pure disdain for her current predicament make it extra relatable, but this is getting ridiculous. Every innocuous task, it follows her with it’s little synth trill in the beginning, and cynical, power-rasp vocals. Lena’s caught herself _humming_ it even! Perhaps more than once, if her assistant’s mocking eye roll the other day is any indication.

It now serves as a mantra, a reminder to stay the course and continue to circumnavigate the minefield of feelings that are becoming harder and harder to dodge. Tina's not wrong, Love _is_ a second hand emotion! It’s incidental and in this case very inconvenient, because when you only have one friend, being in love with her is a rather risky situation of losing that person all together.

So Lena soldiers on, working out her frustration when and where she can. And If she has to stress-scrub her entire kitchen, Brillo pad to tile counter top, to _What’s Love Got to Do With It_ , well then that’s what she’ll do. She’s has been dancing around her infatuation (literally) for a very long time now and that approach has been working just fine. 

Right up until it doesn't.

She forgets her keys. Luckily she doesn't get too far, just to the ground floor, before realizing and heading back. Creeping back into Kara’s apartment though, she catches her friend at the sink, singing something under her breath as she washes dishes.

“What is that?” Lena asks, melody so familiar for some reason.

Kara startles, nearly breaking a dish (how someone with Super Hearing can get surprised is beyond her). “Oh Lena, hey. Did you forget something?”

Lena holds up her keys. “Yeah, just found them. But what is it you’re singing?”

Inexplicably, Kara blushes. “It’s, uh, REO Speedwagon.”

Suddenly it dawns on Lena why it sounds so familiar, this not the first time she's heard Kara hum it. In fact, Kara has been humming it, a lot. For weeks actually. “What’s it called? It’s going to drive me nuts if I don’t know.”

Silence.

“Kara?”

“It’s _Can’t Fight This Feeling_.” The words tumble out fast, too fast. Kara’s face turns from red to practically purple. “It’s just,” she lets out a breath she apparently had been holding way too long. “Been stuck in my head lately.”

“I know the feeling,” Lena says wryly (somewhere in the back of her mind Tina reminds her that _there's a name for it, a phrase that fits..._ )

The silence that follows is strangely heavy and while they stand there blinking at each other something occurs to Lena. She’s fighting so hard against this for so long, what if she just… stopped. Stopped fighting it. Kara’s nice, she’s Supergirl for god sake! They could find some way to get through this, the teeny-tiny little issue of Lena being in love with her, right? More pressing, she could probably get these songs out of her head, and at this point she’d tell the Pope she was in love with him to end the power-ballad madness.

“Kara I-“

“What if-“

The words collide and Lena laughs, bites her lip. “You go first”

“I was just going to say,” Kara starts, hand sliding onto the counter. She leans on it in a way that’s supposed to be casual but the quiver in her voice hints it might be more likely for bracing purposes. “Maybe we should do something to get it out of our system.”

Kara means the songs, to get _the songs_ out of their system. Lena reminds herself of this and tries to slow her heart from beating wildly at her preferred inference of the phrase. But Kara is looking awkward, and still blushing, and Lena feels futile hope grasping at the unlikely. The very unlikely of course because Kara couldn’t possibly feel... she could _conceivably_ return Lena’s...  

She schools her face, opting for the skeptical eyebrow raise. “What did you have in mind?”

“I thought we could see a movie.”

“We just watched a movie.”

“I meant at the theater. Together. I could buy you popcorn.” Kara continues, swallowing so roughly Lena can practically feel it. “And uh, maybe... hold your hand?”

The words are almost a squeak but all Lena can hear is white noise crackling in her head because _holy shit, holy shit, holy fucking-_ “Like a date?”

“Yes.” Clearing her throat, she rights her posture tries to exude something stronger. “Yes,” she repeats more audibly, confidently. “Exactly like a date.”

“You want to go on a date. With me?” Because Lena absolutely _cannot_ misunderstand this, cannot finally give herself over to this and bare it if she’s wrong.

“Yes.” Kara nods, adding a soft, “If that’s what you want I mean.”

“Yes.” Lena manages. Barely manages. “Yes, please”

Then, as if in slow motion, like every cheesy 80’s movie Kara’s made her watch thus far, time stops as Kara crosses the floor and pulls Lena into her. The hug, _the embrace,_ is tight and feels like pieces fitting together in a way more perfect than Lena never hoped- ever _dared_ to hope- it could.

“Kara?” Lena says, words mumbled into Kara’s neck still holding on tight.

“Mmm?” The hummed reply resonating right through to her heart.

“No more 80’s romance movies. My heart just can’t take the soundtracks right now.”

“You got it.” Kara smiles, pressing a little kiss to Lena’s temple. “I mean...

 _Whatever it takes... or how my heart breaks... I’ll be right here waiting for you..._ ”

She can feel Kara’s smile around the ballad’s lyrics. “Kara,” a warning.

“I’m just saying that I _... cooooooome to yoooooou... with ooooooopen arms.._ .” Kara starts to sway them in time. _“Nothing to hide. Believe what I say...”_

 _“Kara!”_ Lena tries for indignant, though swelling sentiment contagious.

“ _So here I aaaaaaaam, with oooooopen aaaaaarms!_ ” All pretense now lost, Kara belts it out, dancing them around the kitchen, giddily. “ _Hoping you'll see, what your love means to me-_ “

Lena cuts her off the only way she can, covering Kara’s lips with her own. Lena kisses Kara’s stupid, stupid mouth and yes, it finally quiets her. Pulling apart Lena wonders if maybe she overshot though. Kara stands before her, beautiful mouth guppying, speechless. 

“Thank you,” Lena smiles, and pulls Kara a bit closer. “Now you said something about a movie date?”

“Right. Sorry.” She holds out the crook of her arm. Lena slips her hand around, pulls herself in, naturally, as if it had always been this way. Meant to be.

“Sorry I got carried away...” Kara continues as they make their way towards the door. “It’s just nice to…   _not fight this feeling anymore_.”

“Kara...” Lena sighs, but just cannot help but smile. It's scary to feel this way, after thinking about her own protection for so long, but like Tina, maybe it's time to take on a new direction. (As long as they can hopefully slip some 90's music in along the way as well. )

 

*_*_*_*_*


End file.
